Safety appliance for elevators.



lPATBNTED APR. 21, 1903.

s. B. TRAPP. SAFETY APPLIANGE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. a, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

l0 MODEL.

MW EN "ATTORNEY No. 725,892. PATENTED'APR. 2l, 1903.

' S..B. TRAPP.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1902.

`N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

me ohms paens co, morau'rno.. wAsHwaTou. o. r.:t

:PATENTBDu APR. 21, 1903.

' S. B. TRAPP.

SAFETY APBLIANCE FOR ELEVATORS. APPLIoATIoN :FILED AUG. 5, 1902. NoMODEL. 4-sHBETs-SHEBT s.

WITNESSES:

PATENTBD APR. 21, 1903..

N. 725,892. -s. B. TRAPP.

SAFETY APPLIANGE POB. ELBVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1 92.

4 SHEETS- snm 4.

H0# MODEL.

. vWITNESSES=' |NvENToR eef " ATTORNEY nl: nomma Eriks co.. Pnovauwo.,wAsHmToy. n. c.

SUSANNA R. TRAPP, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR E LEVATORS.

SECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 725,892, dated April 21,1903.

Application iled August 5, 1902, Serial No. 118,456. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it 11i/tyV concern:

Be it known that I, SUSANNA B. TRAPP, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of,

New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Safety Appliances for Elevators,of which the following is a speciiication.

The invention relates to improvements inv granted October 17, 1899, toSusanna B.v Trapp, and No. 700,458, granted May 20, 1902,.

to Susanna B. Trapp, and said invention pertains more especially to twonovel features, one being the novel construction and arrangement of theair cushioning cylinder or cylinders by which the car or hoist isarrested in case of accident, and the other feature relating to thenovel construction of hoisting-frame for carrying, if desired, thepassenger-car, and which frame comprises as integral structural partsthe air cushioning-cylinders, the latter being exterior to the car andconstituting standards or pillars connecting or aiding in connecting andstrengthening and forming parts of the hoisting-frame, which may or maynot be equipped with a passenger-car, as maybe preferred. When thehoisting-frame is equipped with a passenger car, the aircushioning-cylinders will preferably be exterior to said car and not inthe same.

The invention will be fully understood the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a central vertical section, partly broken away, ofone of the air cushioning-cylinders with its inclosed parts. Fig. 2 is alike view of the lower portion of said cylinder and illustrates thelower end ofthe piston-rod projecting downwardly through the lower endof said cylinder. Fig. 3 is a detached view, partly in Section, of aport-ion of one of the air-equalizing pipes connecting the twocushioning-cylinders and equipped with an automatic valve adapted toopen downwardly from against the stress of the spring under atmosphericpressure when a Vacuum is formed in the upper ends of Said cylinders.Fig. 4 is a sectional view, on a smaller scale, of a portion of thepiston-rod audits inclosed parts. Fig. 5 is aside elevation of thehoisting-frame,

the piston-rods being partly broken away. Fig. 6 is a sectional view ofsame on the dotted line 6 6`lof Fig. 5. Fig'. 7 is a top view of theupper end of the hoisting-frame. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section through'a portion of an elevator-car, showing a slightly-modified arrangementof the cushioning-cylinders, this modification consisting in placing thecushioning-cylindersat the opposite sides of the hoisting-frame insteadof at the corners thereof, as shown in Fig. 6; and Fig. 9 is a hori-Zontal'section through a portion of an elevator-car, showing a slightfurther modification of the invention, the cushioning-cylinders in thisinstance being at the corners of the car and the usual guides fordirecting the hoisting through the shaft being at the sides of thehoisting-frame in lieu ot' at the corners thereof, as shown in Figs.6and 8.

I have omitted from the drawings the stops located at the several floorsof the building `to be engaged in case of accident by the piston-rods ofthe cushioning-cylinders, since said stops forni no part of the'presentinvention and are fully illustrated and described in the aforesaidLetters Patent No. 700,458, dated May 20, 1902.

, In the drawings, 15 15 designate the cushioning-cylinders. .16 denotesthe lower horizontal beam of the hoisting-frame; 17, the upperhorizontal beam of said frame; 18, the hoisting-cables, whose pulleysare mounted between the opposite sides of the said beam 17, and 19 theequalizing and relief pipes connecting the upper ends of the cylinders15. The pipes 19 afford free communication from one cylinder 15 to theother cylinder 15, and each pipe is providedwith anv upwardly-actingvalve 20, mounted within a valve-casing 2l, connected with the pipe 19,the said valve 20 being rnily held against its seat bymeans y of acoiled spring 22. The valves 20 only act when by reason of a vacuum thatmay be formed within the upper ends of the cylinders 15 the pressure ofthe atmosphere causes the depression of said Valve in opposition to ICOthe force exerted by the spring 22 for the purpose of relieving saidvacuum.

The cylinders 15 are plain straight vertical tubular columns and haveupon their upper ends the caps 23, Fig. 1, and upon theirlower ends thecaps 24, Fig. 2, said caps being secured by screw-threads upon the endsof said cylinders and in addition being further secured by meanshereinafter specified. The upper caps 23 are provided with the centraldomes 25 and oil-cups 26, and in addition the said caps 23 are apertured to receive the ends of the equalizing-pipes 19. The lower ends ofthe caps 23 are formed with the annular shoulders or anges 27, whichreceive the circular ends 2S, secured at the ends of the upperhorizontal beam 17, said ends 28 fitting upon the caps 23 and againstthe shoulders 27 and connecting the cylinder 15 at one corner of thehoisting-frame with the cylinder 15 at the other corner of said frame,as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7. The cylinders 15 thus become thecorner-posts for the hoisting-frame and receive and support the upperconnecting-beam 17, formed of girders. The caps 24 at the lower ends ofthe cylinders 15 are seated upon the end portions of the channel lowerbeam 16, as shown in Fig. 2, and are secured upon said beam by means ofthe series of bolts 29, extending through lugs 30, formed on said caps24 and engaging said beam 16. The end portions ofthe beam 16 aresupported upon frames 3l, which are connected with the circular endportions 28 ofthe upper beam 17 by means of the vertical tie-bolts 32,which pass through lugs formed on said portions28 and throughlugsformedon theframes 31, the tie-bolts 32 being, as shown in Fig. 7, atthe opposite sides ot' the cylinders 15. The hoisting frame thuscomprises as its main feature the lower beam 16, upper beam 17, verticalcylinders 15, frames 31, and tiebolis 32, and the frame thus constructedis of great durability, simplicity, and efficiency, and in itsconstruction the cylinders 15 answer not only as cushioning-cylinders,but as vertical columns or standards intermediate the upper and lowerbeams of the frame. In addition to this the method described forconstructing the hoisting frame enables the eiicient securing of theupper and lower caps upon the cylinders 15 by means which also add tothe rigidity and durability of the frame as a whole. The cushioningcylinders A15, while operating as cushioning-cylinders, constitute aportion of the hoistingframe as distinguished from merely being seatedupon said frame. The hoisting-frame will be provided wiih any suitableiiooring or with any suitable passenger car when it is desired that acar shall be employed. When a passenger-car is employed, it will be ofsuch outline as to-it between the cushioning-cylinders 15, so that saidcylinders shall not be exposed in the car, but will be exterior thereto,as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, it being my purpose that theelevator-car shall exclude the cushioning-cylinders and all apparatusnot required to be in the car.

The shoes for directing the movement of the hoisting-frame by theirengagement with the usual tracks or guides 34, provided in theelevator-shafts, are numbered 35, and preferably these shoes are in theform of suitably-secured casings having vertical grooves to engage theflanges of the guides 34, as illustratedinFigs. 6 and 7. When the guides34 are secured under conditions that may prevail otherwise than as shownin Figs. 6 and 7, they may be arranged as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. InFig. 8 the shoes 35 are illustrated as being secured to the corners ofthe carhoisting frame, because the cushioning-cylinders 15 are not atthe corners of the hoisting-frame, and in Fig. 9 the shoes 35 areillustrated as secured to the opposite sides of the car orhoisting-frame, although the cushioning-cylinders are at the corners ofand constitute a portion of the hoisting-frame.

The lower beam 16 above referred to is commonly called a safety-plank,and the upper beam 17 is formed, as shown in Fig. 7, of two parallelbars or girders, to whose ends are secured the end pieces 28, which arein the form of circular frames tting upon the upper caps 23 of thecylinders 15.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I illustrate the angle-iron frames 70 as a means forsecuring an elevater-car 33 upon the safety-plank 16 of thehoisting-frame, these angle-iron frames 70 being riveted at their endsto the flanges of the beam or safety-plank 16, as illustrated in Fig. 6,and at their outer sides being secured by rods 71 to the end portions 28of the upper beam or girders 17, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Theangle-iron frames 70 and sustainingrods 71 constitute one convenientmeans for supporting an elevator or passenger car, and I do not limit myinvention 'to such frames and rods. When the frames 70 are employed, thelower end of the elevator-car 33 will set upon said frames and be boltedor otherwise secured thereto.

Within each cushioning-cylinder 15 is provided a piston 40, havingsecured thereto a hollow piston-rod 4l, projecting downwardly through anopening in the lower cap 24 and through an opening in the beam 16directly below said cap. The upper end of the piston-rod 41 is threadedlo engage a threaded receiving-socket 42 in the lower end of the piston40, and the lower end of the pistonrod 41 is closed by a durable cap orplug 43, which is screwed into the lower en'd of said piston-rod andbecomes a part thereof. The piston-rod 41 is open at its upper end toreceive the lower end of the perforated pipe 44, which extends above andbelow the piston 40 and passes through a closely-fitting aperture 45,extending through a stuiiing-box construction 46, fitted within thecentral portion of said piston. The lower end of the perforated pipe 44will be closed by the cap 47, and the upper end of said pipe 44 will beclosed IOO IIO

by a cap 4S. The upper portion of the pist-on 40 is encompassed by thepacking-rings 49, fitting within grooves formed in said piston, andthese grooves communicate, by means of apertures 50, with the interiorof the upper portion of the cylinder 15, so that when the air iscompressed in the upper portion of the cylinder the pressure of the airmay be eX- erted through said apertures 50 against the packing-rings 49to insure their iirm air-tight Contact with the inner walls of thecylinder 15, thereby the more assuredly trapping and compressing the airin the upper end of the A piston-rod, so as to regulate the escape ofair.

cylinder 15 by the upper movement of the piston 40.

Within the piston-rod 41 is secured an inner tube 51, which isperforated, as shown in Fig. 4, and is separated by an air-space fromthe inner walls of the piston-rod. Within the inner tube 51 is securedthe spring 52, which is upon a rod 53, carrying at its upper end a head54, which is recessed at its upper end to receive the cap 47 on thelower end of the perforated pipe 44. The tendency of the spring 52 is topress the head 54 upward against the perforated pipe 44, as shown; butsaid spring 52 is capable of compression when in case of accident thelower end of the piston-rod 41 meets with one of the stops (not shown)and is driven upward thereby. The piston-rod 4l moves with the piston40, and the inner tube 51 being secured to the pistonrod 41 will movewith it; but the head 54 and rod 53 may have an independent movementwithin the tube 5l, and the piston 40 may move independently of theperforated pipe 44.- The tube 51 forms, in effect, a cylinder for thehead 54, and said tube 51 is perforated, so that at the proper time theair escaping downward through the tube 44 may pass into the chamberformed between said tube 51 and. the inner walls of the hollowpiston-rod and thence find an escape through the perforations 55, formedin the lower end of the said piston-rod. There are a number of theperforations 55 formed in the lower end of the piston-rod 4l, and it isdesirable that some means for regulating the extent of the exposure ofthe openings 55 may be provided, and therefore upon the lower portion ofthe piston-rod 41 I provide a band 56, containing apertures 57, whichmay be moved into regigter with the openings or apertures 55 in thepiston-rod 41. The purpose of moving the band 56 is to bring more orless of its apertures 57 into line with the apertures 55 in the throughsaid apertures and from the pistonrod.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I illustrate the parts within the cylinder 15 intheir operating position-that is to say, in said figure I illustrate thesaid parts in the position that will be given to them by the contact ofthe lower end of the piston-rod 41 with an obstruction or stop,arresting its downward movement with the hoisting-frame. In the normalsafe running condition of the hoisting-frame the piston 40 will be inthe lower end of the cylinder 15, with the piston-rod41 projectingdownwardly through the lower end of said cylinder, and under suchcondition the lower end of the perforated tube 44, which is, in edect, avalve, is inclosed within the bore 45 of the stufng-box construction 46,the upper end of the tube 44 then being free of and below the upper endor cap of the said cylinder 15. When in case of accident the lower endof the piston-rod 41 meets an obstruction and is arrested thereby, thehoisting-frame will continue for a brief period to descend, and thiswill carry the cylinder 15 downward upon the piston 40, whereby airabove the piston 40 and in the cylinder 15 will be compressed andoperate as a cushion. A movement downward of the cylinder 15 upon thepiston 40 will also have the effect of carrying the dome 25 at the upperend of the cylinder 15 downward against the upper end of the perforatedtube 44, this contact of the dome 25 with the upper end of the tube 44not taking place until after the air has been compressed in the upperend of the cylinder and it is desired that the car shall settle slowlydownward by the release of the air to reach one of the ioors of abuilding. The driving downward of the perforated tube 44 has the effectof causing the lower end of said tube to pass below the stuffing-box 46and against the head 54, supported upon the spring 52, the lattercompressing and some of the apertures in the lower portion of the tubeV44 becoming exposed Within the upper end of the piston-rod 41, thisexposure of the said apertures permitting the escape of the air from theupper end of the cylinder 15 into the upper end of the hollow piston-rod41, the said air thence passing through the apertures in the inner tube51 and escaping downward around the outer Walls of said inner tube andfinally through the uncovered apertures 55 in the lower end of saidpiston-rod.k The parts connected with both cylinders 15 operate inharmony, and since said cylinders are connected by the pipes 19 therewill be a uniform compression of the air within the upper ends of saidcylinders, and the hoisting-frame will be properly arrested andcushioned, and then, due to the action of -the tubes 44, allowed tosettle to one of the doors of the building, so that the attendant orpassengers may escape at said floor. Afterthe happening of an accidentand the .arresting of the hoisting-frame the hoisting-frame will bepulled upward, and at the propertime the piston-rods 41 will be pulleddownward to their normal position for further use. When pulling thepiston-rods 41 downward, vthe pistons 40 will be drawn thereby to thelower ends of the cylinders 15, and as the pistons 40 move downward thesprings 52, pressing against the lowerr ends of the perforated tubes 44,will move said tubes upward until their lower ends Vare sealed withinthestuff- ICO IIS

ingboxes 46 and the heads 54 above said springs 52 reach the lower endof said studing-boxes. The then continued downward movement of thepistons 40 to their normal position will result in said pistons engagingthe caps 47 on the lower end of the tubes 44 andpulling said tubesdownward from the domes 25, and at such time, the communication from thelower end of said tubes having been cut oif, if a vacuum shall be formedin the upper ends of the cylinders 15, due to the drawing downward ofthe pistons 40, the vacuumvalves 2O will open under atmospheric pressureand the air will pass inward through the pipes 19 and reach the upperportions of the cylinders 15.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that my invention relatesmore especially to two features, one of said features comprising thecushioning-cylinder and its rod, with the parts inclosed therein, andthe other feature pertaining to the hoisting-frame structure, in whichthe cushioning-cylinders constitute structural parts and are at theopposite ends of the lower beam or safety-plank 16 and upper beam orgirders 17.

As will be understood from the foregoing description, the presentinvention is not limited to the elevator-car 33,-Which may or may not beused, as may be preferred; but when such car is used it will be securedabove the beam or safety-plank 16, and the cylinders 15 will be exteriorthereto and not in the same. The stops for arresting the piston-rod 41may be at the lower end of the elevator-shaft or along the severalfloors of the building and need not be shown or described herein, sinceby reference to the aforesaid Letters Patent No. 700,458 satisfactorystops arranged at the several iioors of the building and operable bymeans carried by the hoisting-frame and under the control of theattendant thereon may be fully understood. I have not deemed itnecessary, therefore, to specifically refer to either the stops forarresting the piston-rods 41 nor to the means by which the stops whenplaced at the several iioors of the building may be brought intooperative position by the attendant on the hoisting-frame, the presentinvention not being confined to any special character of stops forarresting the piston-rods 41 nor to any special means for giving effectto said stops.

I do not limit the invention tothe placing of the cushioning cylinder orcylinders on the hoisting-frame, since'the said cylinders may bearranged at the top of the elevator-shaft,

will be provided with vent-apertures 60, such apertures being shown inthe aforesaid Letters Patent No. 700,458. The packing-rings 49,encircling the piston 40, are preferably of metal.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The cushioning-cylinder, the piston and the rod secured thereto andprojecting from said cylinder for contact with an obstruction, saidpiston having the aperture or bore 45 through it, combined with theperforated tube 44 mounted in said bore and normally sealed at its lowerend, whereby upon the driving of said piston against the air in saidcylinder one end of said tube striking the end of the cylinder willforce the other end of said tube through said piston to form a releasefor the air; substantially as setforth.

2. The air cushioning-cylinder, the piston 40, and the piston-rodsecured to said piston and projecting through the end of said cylinder,said piston having the bore, combined with the perforated tube 44 havinga head at its lower end and at its lower portion normally sealed in saidbore, combined with means normally retaining one end portion of saidtube within said bore, whereby upon said piston-rod meeting anobstruction the said piston will be driven toward the end of thecylinder to compress the air therein and said tube will strike the endof the cylinder and have its normally sealed end driven through andexposed beyond the end of said bore for releasing the air, and wherebywhen said piston is returned toits normal position it will engage thehead end of said tube and withdraw the same to its normal position;substantially as set forth.

3. The air cushioning-cylinder, the piston IOO therein, and the hollowpiston-rod connected with said piston and projecting through the end ofsaid cylinder, said piston having the bore and said piston-rod havingoutlet-apertures, combined with the perforated tube 44 normally sealedat one end within said bore, the head 54 adapted to engage the extremityof said end of said tube, and the spring engaging said head andconcealed Within said piston-rod, said spring normally retaining one endof said tube within said bore but yielding when the other end of saidtube is pressed against the end of the cylinder during the movement ofsaid piston, whereby the air may be released through said tube;substantially as set forth.

4. The air cushioning-cylinder, the piston therein, and the hollowpiston-rod secured to said piston and projecting through the end of saidcylinder, said piston having the bore and said piston-rod having theoutlet for air, combined with the perforated tube 44 normally sealed atone end within said bore, the inner perforated tube 51 secured withinsaid IIO piston-rod, the head 54 within said tube 51, l

and the spring also within said tube 51 and pressing against said head,said head and spring normally keeping one end of said perforated tube 44within said bore but yielding to permit said end of said tube 44 toslide through said bore when the other end of said tube strikes the endof said cylinder, thereby permitting air communication through saidytube 44 into the said tube 5l, whence the air will escape through theperforations in the piston-rod; substantially as set forth.

5. The air cushioning-cylinders having the pistons and projectingpiston-rods, combined with the eqnalizing-pipe connecting saidcylinders, and the vacuum-valve interposed in said pipe; substantiallyas set forth.

6. The hoisting -frame comprising lower and upper horizontal beams andthe vertical air cushioningcylinders connected to said beams at theirend portions and constituting structural parts of said hoisting-frame,coinbined with the pistons within said cylinders, and the projectingpiston-rods connected with said pistons; substantially as set forth.

7. The hoisting-frame com prising the lower and upper beams, and the aircushioning-cylinders connected to the ends of said beams and formingstructural parts of said frame, the upper beam having end piecesencircling the upper ends of said cylinders, and the ends of the lowerbeam forming seats for the lower ends of said cylinders, combined withmeans for fastening the ends of said lower beam to said cylinders, theframes below the ends of said lower beam, and the tie-rods connectingsaid frames with the end portions of said upper beam; substantially asset forth.

8. The hoisting-frame comprising the lower beam 16, the uppergirder-beam 17 having the end frame-pieces 28, the aircushioningcylinders forming structural parts of said hoisting-frame andhaving caps 23, 24, at their ends, the said end frames 2S fitting uponsaid vcaps 23, and said caps 24 being seated upon` the ends of saidlower beam, combined with the bolts securing said caps 24 to the saidlower beam, the frames 31 below the ends of said lower beam, and thetie-rods connecting said frames 28 to said frames 31; substantially asset forth.

9. The hoisting-frame having the air cushioning-cylinders constitutingstructural parts thereof and interposed between the upper and lowerbeams ofsaid frame,said cylinders having the pistons and projectingpiston-rods, combined with the car mounted'

